In cities such as Mumbai and Delhi, autorickshaws and taxis stayed off the roads.

Sep 2, 2015 10:09 IST

The Bharat Bandh call by trade unions to protest the NDA government's labour reforms saw key services taking a hit in many parts of the country on Wednesday as 15 crore workers joined the strike.

Clashes were also reported from some states, especially in West Bengal.

In cities such as Mumbai and Delhi, auto-rickshaws and taxis stayed off the roads. Bengaluru and Kolkata were also hit by the strike.

Banking operations were also hit as lakhs of banking employees went on a strike, the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIEBA) reportedly said.

The 10 trade unions that have called the Bharat Bandh want the government to withdraw its proposed changes to the labour laws, and are also protesting the privatisation of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

UPDATES:

In Puducherry, at least 1000 protesters have been taken into police custody, The Hindu reported.